Diversion
by Caligo Origuu
Summary: Journey's End AU. A few seconds can make all the difference in the universe. Fate shifts and the whole of reality changes. 10th Doctor, Rose, Viera, Jack, Donna, and the rest of the crew. Alternate ending for Part Four.
1. Three Seconds Sooner

IMPORTANT: THIS IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING. It diverts from Part Four of Viera, my main Doctor Who project. This chapter should still mostly make sense even if you haven't read that, but the later chapters might not.

DISCLAIMER: Doctor Who does not belong to me, but this is how things might have gone if they did.

SUMMARY: Journey's End AU. A few seconds can make all the difference in the universe. Fate shifts and the whole of reality changes. 10th Doctor, Rose, Viera, Jack, Donna, and the rest of the crew. Alternate ending for Part Four of "Viera".

ALLERGEN WARNING: The following product may contain faith, doubt, SPOILERS for Doctor Who, an OC, the occasional monologue, and more than a few nuts.

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_Supplemental Soundtrack:_

**Alt 4:1 - What Might Have Been: "Triumph March" by Tom Salta**

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ALTERNATE PART FOUR – JOURNEY'S END

Diversion One – Three Seconds Sooner

"Sarah Jane said that they were taking the people. But what for?" the Doctor questioned aloud. He turned to Donna. "Think, Donna. When you met Rose in that parallel world, what did she say?"

"Just… the darkness is coming."

"Anything else?" he urged.

Donna looked thoughtful a moment, then her eyes shifted to one side and something in her expression changed. Viera turned around to follow her gaze. There was a blond woman walking towards them down the street. She was carrying a huge gun, confidence in her stride. She seemed familiar to Viera, but she couldn't quite place why.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Donna asked softly.

_That's Rose?_ Viera turned back just in time to see the Doctor's expression as he caught sight of her. It was just shock at first, then wonder and awe filled his eyes. And _hope_. So much hope. Then he took a step towards her and suddenly he was running. Viera stepped up beside Donna, both of them smiling in shared relief and happiness at the reunion. The Doctor _deserved_ Rose.

He almost didn't made it.

"Exterminate!" ground out a metallic voice from the shadows. A creature glided into the light, covered in gleaming metal with slender weapons instead of arms. _Dalek._

The Doctor skidded to a stop, halfway turned towards the armored creature as its weapon leveled at him. None of them were close enough to stop it, even if they'd had a way.

Then out of nowhere Captain Jack of Torchwood appeared, shooting the Dalek before it could fire. The creature exploded. They were all left staring at its remains, then at Jack, then the unharmed Doctor, then back to the scraps of metal that had quite nearly ended him.

"Miss me?" Jack asked with a wide, cocky grin, hefting his enormous gun to his shoulder.

He didn't get an answer from the Doctor just then. While he was busy staring in surprise, Rose had closed the distance between them. He turned just in time to catch her as she leapt at him, arms outstretched. They clung to each other, Rose making sounds somewhere between laughing and crying. The Doctor just held on.

The other companions: Jack, Donna and Viera wandered closer to each other, giving the couple their space. They were close enough to see the shock on the Doctor's face fade into joy as he finally allowed himself to believe that Rose was _real_, really real and right there in his arms. _Finally_.

Then Rose drew back and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" he protested, rubbing his arm with a petulant expression. "What was that for?"

"_You almost died_!" Rose yelled, tears on her cheeks from the high emotion, fear and adrenaline and fierce, explosive joy. "I finally find you and you nearly step in front of a Dalek blast!" She hit him on the shoulder again but didn't give him time to complain. In the next breath her mouth was on his and they both shut up.

"It's about time," Jack sighed, shaking his head with a laugh.

"Think we should tell them to move it into the TARDIS?" Donna questioned, eying the couple with a smile of her own. None of them were really willing to interrupt the pair quite yet.

"Nice timing, by the way," Viera told Jack. "Absolutely amazing, really."

"I am, aren't I?" Jack stated.

"I'll say," stated Donna, grinning back slyly.

_Oh, here we go,_ Viera thought.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was going to be a one-shot until I realized I needed to backtrack a bit more to fix a couple other things… Anyways, this looks like it should be about four chapters long. Like this one they may not be very lengthy. I'm just fixing things, not burying myself in another project (so I keep telling myself), and really rewriting the _whole_ episode once is probably my limit.

This chapter is for MayFairy, for leaving inspiring reviews.


	2. No Hand to Save Her

IMPORTANT: THIS IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING. It diverts from Part Four of Viera, my main Doctor Who project. If you haven't read that then this won't make a whole lot of sense.

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_Supplemental Soundtrack:_

**Alt 4:2 - Viera's Choice: "Pinnacle" by Corner Stone Cues**

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ALTERNATE PART FOUR – JOURNEY'S END

Diversion Two – No Hand to Save Her

_Desperate times call for desperate measures_, Viera thought. Donna was running out of time. The Dalek would kill her, but if she could get the TARDIS somewhere relatively safe, it'd be worth it. Even if she was just buying Donna time, she had to try. Viera jumped up and grabbed the nearest cord, throwing all her weight behind it. She prayed the Dalek would be slow to turn, slow to fire. She needed a few seconds before they killed her.

The cord wretched free of the ceiling in a shower of sparks. The Dalek, the Doctor, Rose and Jack all turned as Viera shoved the sizzling electricity of the broken cord against her right palm and opened herself up to the ship.

She only needed a few seconds. Time felt different, plugged into the power of the Crucible. The physical world fell away and it was just her and the ship, the computers, the power, and the tractor beam that had brought the TARDIS there in the first place. Brief milliseconds went by as she turned the beam towards the TARDIS and _pulled_.

The time machine was tugged loose from the heat of the core threatening to rip it apart. Viera felt its song resonate through her veins, strong and sure as ever. The TARDIS would be fine. Donna would be too, assuming Viera could find a safe place to land it before the Daleks killed her.

She opened up a storage room off the side of the tunnel that the TARDIS had dropped through. She set the time machine down gently and braced herself to let go. She didn't want to; the TARDIS song was comforting and healing and _home_, and Viera knew what was waiting for her. But she was out of time. Viera sealed off the storage unit with every lock and firewall she could summon with the full power of the Crucible. Then she let go.

The power cord slipped from Viera's grasp. She found herself on the floor, panting and dazed but triumphant.

"Exterminate!" rang out. Viera looked up to see a bright flash of blue flare toward her. The Doctor cried out a warning but she couldn't move to save herself. It was already too late.

Or it would have been if Jack hadn't stepped in the way.

He gave a loud cry and his body arched against the pain before dropping to the ground, lifeless.

"No," Viera gasped, reaching for him. There was no pulse at his neck, no matter how hard she tried to find it. Rose cried out but the Doctor held her back, wary of the Dalek weapons aimed at her.

"Stop!" the Doctor protested, but the legion of Daleks turned on Viera.

"Exterminate!" they declared.

"Wait," the Supreme Dalek commanded just in time. "The female is unique. She will be taken for further study." Viera thought perhaps it would have been easier to be exterminated.

"Don't!" the Doctor yelled, stepping forward. The Supreme Dalek fired towards Rose, missing her by inches. The Doctor froze.

"It's alright," Viera stated. She met the Doctor's gaze as she staggered to her feet and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'll be alright." She wouldn't be, probably, but there was nothing the Doctor could do about that just then. Viera didn't want to see him die trying.

The Doctor's gaze fell to Jack before he reluctantly subsided. Viera wondered about that as one of the Daleks prodded her down a hallway while another dragged along Jack's body. Her curiosity had her watching Jack from the corner of her eye. It might have been her eyes playing tricks, but impossible though it was, she could have sworn he was breathing.

"Escort them to the vault," she heard the Supreme Dalek order behind her. Viera comforted herself with the knowledge that the Doctor and Rose would remain alive for the moment. As long as they were all still breathing there was hope.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know this chapter was short and not terribly different from the original, but it was still a necessary part of this alternate plot line. I couldn't have Donna die, now could I?


	3. Sacrifice

IMPORTANT: THIS IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING. It diverts from Part Four of Viera, my main Doctor Who project. If you haven't read that then this won't make a whole lot of sense.

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Supplemental Soundtrack:

**Alt 4:3 - End of the Crucible: "Tip of the Spear" by Epic Score**

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ALTERNATE PART FOUR – JOURNEY'S END

Diversion Three - Sacrifice

"Enough," echoed the voice of the Supreme Dalek over the ship's speakers. "Engage defense zero-five."

"Transmit engaged!" another Dalek replied. Light engulfed the group and they were snatched from where they stood. Energy fizzled through Viera's body; she could feel it carrying her away. _The Daleks…_ Viera panicked and instinctually threw all her might into pulling away. The transmat fought against her, but she'd been built to force energy to her bidding.

The beam shifted in the wake of her influence and released her. Viera dropped to the cold metal floor of the Crucible, far away the others. Alone. She stayed there on her hands and knees, shaking as she tried to catch her breath. There weren't any Daleks in sight, but Viera didn't know how long it might take them to find her. She was alone and unarmed and the universe was about to end. It was almost too surreal to be truly terrifying. Almost.

_You can't afford to fall apart right now,_ Viera chided herself, tamping down the nearly overwhelming urge to find a vent a just go into hiding until it was all over. _If that was the Daleks' doing then it's safe to assume the others were captured. Donna and the TARDIS are around here somewhere, but the Daleks know what room they're in. Donna's only safe if she stays trapped. So unless the Doctor had some brilliant plan up his sleeve that he forgot to mention, I'm the only one who can stop this. Brilliant._ Hysterical laughter bubbled up in her throat; Viera shoved the back of her knuckles against her mouth to hold it in. _Oh God, help me._

Viera struggled to her feet and leaned against the wall, looking around for anything to give her an idea. Her gaze fell on the thick routing cords lining one wall the same moment the ship began to vibrate. The building power hummed beneath her skin as the planets aligned and the Crucible began pulling in the power. The energy poured into receivers all over the ship, which then channeled into thicker cords like the ones built into the wall of Viera's corridor. Those, in turn, lead straight to the weapon, the Reality Bomb.

Something akin to horror closed up her throat as realization settled in, making it hard to breathe. Viera knew what she had to do. She also knew it would kill her.

Viera didn't have time to second guess herself or look for another option. She could feel the power gaining strength behind the casing of the cords in a quickly rising flood. It made her feel sick and jittery and she hadn't even touched it yet. Panic rose as Viera stared at the thick plastic casing. She didn't have any way to break through it. Her plan nearly died before it had begun, but as Viera patted down her pockets, praying for something, _anything_ sharp enough to cut through it, her hand fell on the pendant hidden beneath her shirt. Viera pulled out the Obetovat Stone and stared at it.

It was her salvation and her destruction. A surge of power that made her stomach turn shook Viera abruptly from her contemplation. She fumbled with the tiny latch that held the sharp, triangular shards in place with fingers made clumsy by adrenaline. _Please give me strength. Let this work. I don't want to die for nothing_, Viera prayed as one of the shards finally slid free. She braced the wide end against the curve of her fingers and before fear could stop her, she plunged the shard into one of the cords.

It was worse than Nenavist, worse than her experience in the vent. There was _so much power_. It was impossible to hold it back once she was connected. In white-hot waves of raging energy it began to eat away at the channels burned into Viera's body. She let it. Like a reed bending in the wind, accepting the destruction was the only way to keep from being torn away completely. Her power channels overflowed and the energy ripped apart every cell in its wake. Viera couldn't breathe. Bright pain flared everywhere the energy spilled out, but a tingling numbness soon followed.

The Obetovat blazed against her chest as it consumed far more energy than it could handle.

Viera's body burned away, vibrant energy taking the place of every physical cell. It was all over in an instant. The pain, the fear, the doubt was washed away. Viera was calm, confident, unwavering in her power. There was no more adrenaline to make her heart stutter. There was no more heart to falter anyways. Viera was peace and purpose and little else. Coursing white energy coiled and crackled into a human shape, only held together by the strength of her mind and force of will. For the moment, at least, she was a being of pure energy, and the Crucible was hers to command.

The Reality Bomb shut down with an unspoken command. The power of twenty seven planets suddenly had no purpose; it fed into the core of the ship and Viera felt the Crucible shudder. She couldn't disperse the energy, couldn't save the ship even if she'd wanted to. The Daleks were about to fall prey to their own destructive ambitions. Viera couldn't bring herself to care, genocide or not; the universe was better off without them.

Her friends, on the other hand, could not be allowed to perish with them.

Viera reached deeper into the Crucible's programing, barely feeling the Daleks' attempts to firewall their systems. She shut them out with a flicker of thought. The force fields holding the Doctor and Rose captive vanished as their power was cut off. The Daleks were drained of power well before they could fire, rendered helpless. Davros as well. The only remaining threat to her friends was the self-destructing ship.

With a faint smile Viera reached for the TARDIS.

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Davros was reveling in his victory. "The final prophesy is in place. The Doctor and his children all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek... the time has come!" he shouted, almost shaking with excitement. "Now, detonate the Reality Bomb!"

"You can't, Davros!" the Doctor shouted desperately, pleading. He was helpless, trapped in the force field. "Just listen to me! Just _stop_!"

Davros only laughed, his voice wild with triumph and insanity. "Nothing can stop the detonation! Nothing! And no one!"

Just then the Crucible gave a massive shudder. An alarm went off overhead, then cut off abruptly before it could even reach full volume. Everyone looked a bit startled at the sudden interruption. Without warning the holding cells flickered blue briefly before blinking out of existence. The Doctor stumbled forward as the ship rocked again, startled to find himself free.

"Impossible," Davros stuttered as Rose waved a hand in front of him to find that her cell was gone too. "Stop them! Exterminate!" Davros ordered the Daleks, frantically pointing at the Doctor.

He braced himself as their weapons turned toward him with cries of "exterminate!"

"No!" Rose shouted helplessly.

Nothing happened. The Dalek's weapons flailed ineffectually. Rose ran to the Doctor and gripped his hand.

"What are you doing?" Davros demanded. "Kill them!"

"Malfunction!" one of the Dalek bleated, sounding as frightened as a Dalek could. "Weapons systems offline."

With a fierce grin Jack kicked one of the Daleks guarding them out of the way. It was sent spinning towards the wall, no longer able to control its own navigational systems. Jack ran to the Doctor and Rose, the others following.

"What's going on?" Rose asked, but the Doctor had no answer.

The holographic screen flared into life, showing the Supreme Dalek. "The Reality Bomb has been compromised. The Crucible will self-distruct."

"Shut it down!" Davros shouted.

"We cannot. The systems have locked. There is no escape, for anyone." The Supreme Dalek seemed to find pleasure in the fact that at least those in the vault would die with them.

The Doctor and his companions were looking at each other with mingled disbelief, hope and fear. The Daleks and Devros were momentarily ignored.

"This your doing, Doctor?" Jack questioned, half grinning.

The Doctor shook his head, just as puzzled as the rest of them. "I've no idea what's going on," he admitted, still clutching Rose's hand.

"We can figure out the hows and whys later," Martha broke in. "Is there any way to get off this ship?"

The Doctor looked frustrated as he thought up ideas and discarded them just as quickly. "The TARDIS is onboard but with the systems going haywire we've no way to find it."

Sarah Jane was more worried about her son. "What about the planets? What happens to them?"

The Doctor never had a chance to speculate an answer. The blessedly familiar sound of TARDIS materialization had them all spinning around.

"I've never been so happy to see a big blue box in my life," Mickey breathed as it landed without a hitch. They ran to it, the Doctor reaching his ship first.

"Oh, you beautiful thing," he gasped, running one hand over the door as he scrambled for his key with the other. He didn't need it. The door was flung open from the inside and there Donna stood.

"What are you lot waiting for?" she demanded. "Get inside!"

"Did you do this?" Rose asked as they filed inside.

"Not me," Donna replied.

The Doctor was the last to enter. He tried to get Davros to come with him, but the mad man turned down his offer venomously. The Doctor didn't have time to argue. He rushed inside the ship and headed straight for the console. The TARDIS shook as the Crucible gave a threatening rumble.

"Let's get out of here!" Martha urged.

"We can't," the Doctor gritted out. "Viera's still somewhere on this ship." Surprise and worry crept across Donna's expression. He flipped a dozen switches in quick succession, searching for Viera's life signs. "We can't leave her behind."

"Yes you can," Viera's quiet voice came from the speakers inside the TARDIS. The Doctor looked up to see the monitor showing video of a woman made of crackling white energy. Her 'skin' glowed, the surface constantly shivering with minute flickers of lightning. Even her eyes burned white. She retained Viera's shape, but there was nothing else human about her.

"Of course we can't," Donna denied.

The Doctor's expression twisted in pain as his brain processed a truth he wasn't quite ready to accept. "You're coming with us," he stated, tone brooking no argument. "Where are you? We'll come pick you up."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, Donna. It's too late. I am already dead," Viera stated calmly. Her voice was filled with sympathy rather than fear. "This is all that is left of me. I will not last. I _am_ the power of twenty seven planets. I am the Crucible. I cannot leave. We will die together, the ship and I."

"The planets," Sarah Jane interrupted, looking pained at Viera's loss but no less determined.

"I will send them home," Viera promised. Even as she spoke another monitor flickered on, showing the planets vanishing one by one, returning to the systems they'd been stolen from. The TARDIS shuddered violently again.

"Viera, don't do this," Donna begged. "Come with us. The Doctor can fix you. Right, Doctor?" She turned to him with desperate hope, but he couldn't answer. Rose slipped her hand back into his, offering what comfort she could.

Viera already knew he couldn't. "You must leave," she repeated, insistence overtaking the calm in her voice. "I can't hold it back much longer. You have to go _now_." She could see the pained reluctance in the Doctor's expression, but she knew how to get around that. "It is not just your life at stake, Doctor. Save your companions," Viera urged. "Leave."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor breathed. Viera gave a soft, understanding smile before the monitor went black. The Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS was away.

They rematerialized a safe distance away. The Medusa Cascade was empty except for the single Dalek ship at its center.

"We have to go back," Donna gasped. Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes. "There has to be a way to save her."

The Doctor's expression was tormented as he stared at the console, his mind scrambling desperately for a plan. There wasn't time. The Crucible exploded with enough force to rip it apart completely. There was nothing left of the ship outside, not even rubble. The whole thing had been vaporized.

"No," Donna whimpered, covering her mouth. She slumped onto the bench and stayed there as the Doctor put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He looked tired, one more loss weighing on her shoulders. Rose ducked under the Doctor's free arm to give him a tight hug. His expression didn't change but he clung to her like a man drowning.

"She saved everyone," Jack observed quietly, caught somewhere between attempting to comfort and shell-shock as he sat beside Donna. She stared at him, crying for a moment, then let him pull her into a hug. He looked over her shoulder to share a weary glance with the Doctor. They'd both lost a lot of people over the years; it was hard not to feel them all with every new loss.

The group was silent for several minutes, still trying to process everything. Finally the Doctor took a deep breath and let Rose go to reach for the controls.

"Let's get you home," he murmured.

The TARDIS dematerialized and the Medusa Cascade was left in stillness. There was no one there to see a ghostly strand of white light slip into the rift and disappear.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: One more chapter to go.


	4. One Last Gift

IMPORTANT: THIS IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING. It diverts from Part Four of Viera, my main Doctor Who project. If you haven't read that then this won't make a whole lot of sense.

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Supplemental Soundtrack:

**Alt 4:4 - Farewells & Final Gifts: "Burial On the Presidio Banks" by This Will Destroy You**

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ALTERNATE PART FOUR – JOURNEY'S END

Diversion Four – One Last Gift to Give

The Doctor and Rose were back in the TARDIS alone, having just dropped off her mother in the alternate dimension. The Doctor hadn't been absolutely, entirely, completely convinced that Rose was going to stay with him, at least until she'd nearly slapped him for suggesting otherwise. He was a bit embarrassed by how relieved he'd felt at that. He'd tried not to show it, but he had the nagging feeling that Rose could see right through him anyways.

"We'd best go pick up Donna," the Doctor mused, setting their course on the controls. "We leave her with her mum any longer and there's going to be hell to pay." He glanced over at Rose, checking for signs of sorrow. He knew she was hurting from saying a permanent goodbye to her own mum. "Last chance to change your mind," he offered quietly.

"Shut up," Rose told him with a faint smile that said she knew what he was doing. "I said forever, didn't I? You're stuck with me."

Innumerable emotions flashed through the Doctor's eyes, but he settled on just enjoying the fact that she was right then. He'd worry about the future later. The Doctor grinned at Rose. "Alright, hang on!" He pulled back the handbrake and the TARDIS took off with a shudder, traveling through the void to get back to _their_ world.

It was something of a surprise to stall somewhere in the middle of the time vortex before they could reach it.

"What's going on?" Rose asked as the ship went still without its usual landing rumble.

"I dunno," the Doctor answered, puzzled. He moved the monitor, but its readings just confused him further. "The TARDIS just… stopped. And I'm picking up some sort of… life signs? That can't be right." He tried to adjust the monitor.

Rose was in the perfect position to see behind him as a form shimmered into existence. Her jaw dropped as Viera's face coalesced and the ghostly form gave a wink. Viera looked much as she had on the video feed from the Crucible, though perhaps a little fainter.

The Doctor was still trying to fix the readings on the screen. "We're in the middle of the Vortex," he muttered. "That's impossible."

"Ah, but we've seen so many impossible things, haven't we?" Viera asked quietly. The Doctor froze a moment, then turned slowly, eyes wide. "Hello, Doctor."

"Viera," he breathed. Then the shock faded and he was left with wary happiness. "You shouldn't have been able to leave the Crucible."

"No," she agreed easily. "But it exploded in the Medusa Cascade. I latched on to the energy of the rift. That's why I had to wait until you were in-between worlds before I could reach you." Viera smile was a bit sad but sincere. "I'm afraid I don't have long, even with the help of the rift and the TARDIS, but I wanted to say goodbye. And I wanted to give you something," she added, turning to Rose.

"Me?" Rose asked, surprised. They barely knew each other after all.

Rather than answer, Viera reached into the energy over where her heart would have been had she still had a physical form. When she withdrew her hand it was tangled in the chain of the Obetovat pendant. As it dangled from her fingers the stone crackled with vibrant green electricity, shimmering the way Viera's body did but brighter. It looked to be more energy than matter, really. One shard was missing. A quick twist of Viera's fingers freed the other four, then she held out the Stone itself to Rose.

"Viera…" the Doctor objected instinctually, taking a step forward.

"Don't you trust me?" Viera asked. The Doctor hesitated. She didn't take offense, knowing his hesitation was due to the fact that it was Rose's safety, not his on the line. Viera smiled encouragingly. "I don't mean any harm. The TARDIS wouldn't have let me in if I did," she pointed out. "I wouldn't hurt Rose."

The Doctor searched her shimmering face then eventually stepped back.

"What is that?" Rose asked, not yet reaching to take it.

The Doctor eyed the pendant a bit warily. "According to legend it's capable of bringing the dead back to life, but there's a sacrifice involved."

"Can we use it to save you?" Rose asked Viera hopefully, immediately focusing on the first part of the Doctor's sentence rather than the latter.

Viera shook her head. "It's _my_ energy bound up in the Obetovat. It can't save me."

Rose bit her lip. "Couldn't we just get you another body or something?" she asked, still looking for a way to save her.

Viera could see why the Doctor loved her. She smiled, unperturbed at the reply she had to give. Viera was just grateful that she had one last gift to give and that it was _this_ woman and _this_ man who would benefit. She loved the Doctor to the depth of her heart and Rose fit him perfectly. "There's not enough of me left," she answered Rose. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm just energy, thoughts. A fading ghost." Viera held up a hand. What had been a closely-woven net of energy had started to fray. The details were gone, except for her face. Instead of a hand Viera had only a vaguely shaped limb and even that was unraveling around the edges. Rose looked sad. The Doctor looked torn, guilt and frustration creeping into his eyes.

"It's alright," Viera tried to convince them. "I know where I'm going. I'm the one who believes in heaven, remember?" she quirked a smile at the Doctor. "What's there to be scared of?" Viera's gaze shifted back to Rose, offering the necklace again. "Please just take it." Despite her impending end, Viera felt more excitement than fear. As far as last acts went, her gift was a dozy.

Rose finally reached for the pendant. She glanced at the Doctor before actually touching it and he nodded. It shivered when she touched it, but none of the electricity actually seemed to touch her as it shifted beneath the brightly glowing surface. Rose slung the glittering chain around her neck and the Obetovat Stone settled over her collarbone. A gentle wave of green and gold light spread from it to shimmer across Rose's skin.

Viera approached the Doctor, the four jeweled shards from the necklace in her hand. She could feel the energy flowing through them as well, the ties that bound them to the Stone.

The Doctor tensed a bit but didn't draw back. "What are you doing?" he asked, curiosity momentarily overriding the pain of her passing.

"Do you trust me?" Viera questioned quietly, near enough to touch him. The Doctor nodded slowly and Viera leaned in closer. "Do you love her?" she asked even softer, too quiet for anyone but the Doctor to hear.

The Doctor went very still, surprise and confusion flickering across his face. They didn't quite cover the fierce look of longing though, and Viera had her answer without needing to hear the words. With a slightly apologetic smile Viera shoved the four shards in her palm against the Doctor's chest. He grunted in brief pain as they slid past his shirt, into his flesh. He stepped back with a grimace to rub at the sore spot.

"What was that for?" he protested a bit warily.

"I could have done it the other way around, but I figured you'd rather take the sting than Rose," Viera said, deliberately drawing out the explanation. Truthfully, giving Rose the shards would have been slightly easier, since _she_ was the one who needed fixing, but Viera had enough control over the energy to make it work either way.

"Well… yes," the Doctor admitted, still confused.

Viera grinned mischievously and clasped her hands together, anticipating their reactions. "Alright. Best be quick about this. Say your vows and get on with the wedding."

There was a brief moment of silence then they both shouted at once. "_What_?"

"Kidding. Sort of." Viera's expression softened into understanding, though amusement still shimmered underneath. "I know its sudden, but I'm running out of time. I want to do one last thing for you, if you'll consent. The Obetovat is meant to shift life force from one being to another. In a state like this, already more energy than matter, I believe the Obetovat can be used to _share_ life forces rather than trade them." Especially under Viera's very careful control. It was, in a way, _her_ energy powering the Stone, after all. Rose still looked confused, but realization was spreading across the Doctor's face. He looked shaken by the myriad of emotions that washed over him. Viera continued explaining to Rose as he tried to sort them out.

"I can tie your lifespans together. He'll never have to watch you get old," Viera stated gently. Rose looked overwhelmed as well but there was hope and happiness bubbling underneath. "Actually, I'm pretty sure that neither of you will be able to die without the other, so unless you both go out together, you might be in for a long ride."

"I know it's a lot to take in, but I'm afraid you have to decide pretty quickly." Viera could feel the energy weave that was holding her together beginning to fall apart. The two of them stared at her, then stared at each other, wide-eyed. Viera smiled and shook her head. "Well I suppose I can give you a minute or two."

She backed away from the pair, kneeling down by the console with her eyes closed. She whispered her gratitude to the TARDIS as Rose and the Doctor tried to sort out what they were feeling.

"Well…" Rose spoke first, trying to keep her voice calm and not quite succeeding. "What'd you think? Ready to really be stuck with me forever?"

The Doctor's voice was just as taunt with suppressed emotions. "You sure you want this, Rose? That's… a really long lifetime. You'll never be able to change your mind, settle down with another human. You'll outlive… everyone."

"Don't be daft," Rose spat, almost offended that he could question her. "I just gave up my family to come with you! I said I was gonna stay with you forever and I meant it!"

"Rose…"

"Do _you_ want this?" she demanded.

The Doctor's voice was quiet, intense as he answered. "Oh, yes," he murmured. Viera could almost _feel_ the hope and joy radiating from his voice. He gave a laugh as he finally let himself believe that it was possible. "Yes, yes, _yes._"

Viera stood and turned to them, smiling softly at the sight. The Doctor had hold of Rose's upper arms and his face was only a breath away from hers. They were both grinning like fools, love and happiness lighting their faces.

It was a good moment to die. "This is going to be goodbye," Viera said quietly, pulling their attention away from each other. Pain darkened their expressions and Viera wished she could make them understand that she really, _really_ was alright with her fate. "Please don't be sad. I'm not," she said honestly. "I'm going to see my family again. And out of all the ways I could go, this… this is better than anything I can imagine. I love you," Viera's gaze shifted to the Doctor. "Tell Donna I love her too. And I'm grateful, _so very grateful_ to have met all of you." She smiled at Rose, completely at peace with the world she was leaving behind. "Take care of each other, yeah?"

They both nodded silently. Viera closed her eyes and reached for the Obetovat.

_Obet duse, vzdal liecit dusu…_ she recited the inscription around the pendant silently. _Alright, God, I'm ready. Take me home._ Then Viera set the Stone and shards in motion and simply let go.

Her body unraveled with a gentle fizzle of energy. The white light poured into the Obetovat and into the shards, pulsing with purpose. For a moment a bright, thick stream of energy bound the two together. Then it spread, engulfing Rose and the Doctor completely.

They would spend the rest of their lives together, traveling the stars in every time stream, picking up friends along the way. The universe would be a better place because of them. They'd love their friends and carry the weight of their losses when inevitably they left, but they would always, _always_ have each other.

When the light died out, Viera's ghost was gone; there were no life signs but Rose's and the Doctor's. The Obetovat had vanished, having fulfilled its purpose. The couple stood panting lightly as their daze cleared. The Doctor took a breath and stepped closer, taking both of Rose's hands.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked softly, something warm and content in his voice, fierce joy banked behind the surface of his dark eyes.

Rose smiled, her love radiating bright and steady as sunshine. "Forever," she promised.

Forever it was.

FIN


End file.
